Robert, where did you find such a beautiful name and what does it mean? “Sauntina was a name that Mama and Papa Kowalchuck had wanted to name one of their children however the Lord only gave 4 children and were not able to use this name. Both Kendalyn and I loved the name and the musical ring that it had. Sonata is a musical term and Sonantina is a short Sonata. Kendalyn’s Grandmother gave her oldest daughter the middle name La Verle because of the kindness of a little girl with that name. Mama gave that middle name to Kendalyn and so Kendalyn passed that middle name on to her first born daughter. Verle means truth and LaVerle is the femine form of that. So to us “LaVerle” is a blend of truth and kindness and a reminder to us to speak the truth in love.”

Kendalyn, How long were you in labor? Would you do a water birth again? Did you have everything you needed to welcome and care for such an early baby?

“I was in labor for about 6.5 hours and yes, I would do a water birth again!  We had almost everything we needed…save a hose to fill the tub and an air pump to inflate the tub.    Thankfully, our neighbor had the needed supplies and everything was ready when the time came!  My other jobs, such as meals, finishing thank you cards, finishing up the baby’s room, and other misc tasks on my to-do list were quickly prioritized as non-important.” 

Kendalyn, How are your feeling now?

“I am so happy! I just lay there looking at Sauntina, marveling at how tiny she was and that she was ours to keep for as long as the Lord allowed.”

Kendalyn, What is your favorite part about being a mom so far?

“I love holding her, seeing her stretch her little arms out, and watch her open her eyes and look around at her new home.”

Grandpa Staddon, How would you put into words your feelings about holding your first grandchild? “To put my feelings into words I would say, ‘precious.’ What a precious gift from the Lord of life. What a precious memory of holding such bundles in the past. What a precious potential for the glory of our Heavenly Father and the advancement of His kingdom.’

Grandma Staddon, how does it feel to be a grandmother? ‘”It is very exciting to know that she was able to deliver at home and didn’t have to go through the hospital experience! I’m so happy Sauntina is born into such a wonderful family. Kendalyn and Robert are going to be very loving, caring parents and they will have lots of support from both friends and family!”

Mama K, where were you when the baby was born? I was at 35,000 feet in the air on route from Calgary, Alberta to Chicago. I discovered my flight was cancelled because United Airlines said they lost my plane! So I sent a text to Robert to let him know I would be later than expected. Robert replied saying Kendalyn was in a lot of pain and he was wondering if the baby was on the way. So I called Robert to see what he meant and heard Kendalyn in the background. At that point I asked Robert to hold the phone up to Kendalyn’s ear because I wanted to hear if she could speak to me. She couldn’t. At that point I told Robert, ‘Yes, your wife is in labor and she is not very far from transition.’ The time was 12:40. I encouraged him to be strong and told him I would be there as soon as possible. I also told him that I would be praying that God would deliver the baby in a short time frame. And at 1:11pm the baby arrived!”

Mama K, how do you feel about the baby’s name? “Honored beyond words! The realization hit me the next morning during my devotions with the privilege of seeing the face of Sauntina 30 years after God gave Kendall and I the name!”

Uncle Dan, when did you first see your little niece? “I was one of the few that was privileged to be in Chicago at the time of the birth. I was on my way back from getting ice-cream with Mr. Crouse and some of the HQ staff in honor of Sauntina’s birth. Robert called and invited me over to see the baby that same night. As soon as we walked in Robert came down the steps and said ‘Well hey guys! Hang on, we’ve had a little explosion up here!’ Once the diaper was changed, we all walked into the bedroom. They let me hold the baby first. I had so little experience and felt inadequate. I saw her eyes peek open and admired her perfectly formed little features. Her fingernails were so cute! Her long fingers promise the potential of a great pianist! Having a niece is so much fun! I can hardly wait for the Lord to bring more in the future!”

Praise the Lord for a safe and healthy birth! We love you, Sauntina! Welcome to the family! For more info visit robertloveskendalyn.com

Here’s a better look at our NEW RECRUITS! Adorable!

A few minutes after taking the above pictures, I witnessed something else. Hurrah for Mrs Wasp! She just caught a horrid caterpillar off the plum tree and is devouring it with a vengeance! Good job!

I have a special place in my heart for these next beloved allies. I found an Eastern Milk Snake here about four feet long once. They are usually very tame and fun to play with, but while I’m asleep at night they are working to rid me of some of my worst enemies: meadow voles!

Speaking of fun, this little critter serves for entertainment whenever it is needed. Lay them on their back and they pop themselves up into the air in order to get them selves right side up again. Click beetles or “skipjacks” come in many sizes and colors, but by far the most common around hear are the little brown ones that are easy to find hiding near the tips of shoots. I’m not sure if they do as much practical good as some species do (like the Eyed Elater which dines on harmful pests) but they don’t do any harm either, so we get along just fine. (The damage you see on the shoot tip was done by a leaf-roller caterpillar.)

I must mention the lady bug. They are often hated for infesting houses in the fall, but if you like apples, or anything made from apples, or even wheat for that matter, don’t be too hasty in your condemnation. Aphids are very destructive pests that spread disease and stunt growth of important crops. Ladybird Beetles hunt them down and chew them up with splendid voracity!

There are many other highly beneficial friends that work along with me in the orchard that did not allow me to take their pictures that day. Wonderful birds like the Nuthatches and Brown Creepers, and countless spiders and pollinating insects and soil-dwellers, who do more than I could ever thank them for to keep things in balance. It’s an amazing place to be!

“O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.”
Psalm 104:24

Thankfully the temperature did not quite dip down to freezing, and even our hardy kiwi’s new growth was unharmed by the snow! There had been some freeze damage earlier in the year, but thankfully nothing additional due to the snow. In the afternoon the snow was gone, and the next day the hillside was sparkling with buttercups again and the bees were buzzing as if nothing had happened.

He sendeth forth His commandment upon earth:
His word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes…
He sendeth out His word, and melteth them:
He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
Psalm 147:16 and 18

The problem was that it would take him at least eight days to finish by himself. You see, frame building would be a long, tedious process and each box needed four coats of paint in some places! It would certainly not have worked to start any earlier, for we had not yet received the pieces to put together. Fortunately, Michael was able to foresee the problem and present it to the rest of the Staddon brigade a month in advance. This gave all the willing workers time to prepare for the blitz.

When the time came, Dad, Mom, Donald, Esther, James, Jonathan, and David helped Michael knock out the giant project with a servant spirit and encouraging smiles. Good Job guys and we will look forward to sharing the rewards of harvest!

We chose a baking theme for Grandpa’s birthday party because he is such an outstanding cook! We have great memories growing up of walking into Grandpa and Grandma’s house smelling the glorious stew ready and waiting to welcome us to West Virginia. Grandpa is the one who taught us how to make rhubarb jelly which has been a staple in our house ever since we moved here and planted divisions of his rhubarb plants. His most recent doing in the kitchen was a big batch of sauerkraut! Grandpa encourages us to eat healthy and have our own garden and we treasure his advice! Thank you, Grandpa! We had fun celebrating your birthday with you!

“In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court last month settled the dispute over ownership of streambeds and stream banks, ruling that landowners, not government, are the rightful owners. President Bob Stallman said farmers and ranchers prevailed with the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of landowner property rights in the case PPL v. Montana. …It was further noted that this decision helps ensure farmers and ranchers will not have to pay the government for use of land or water from streambeds that run alongside or through their property. This ruling is for farmers and ranchers nationwide and all private property owners.”

Secondly, “The  court recognized that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was arbitrary in assuming that any increase above pristine nutrient levels is harmful. …To further reinforce landowner rights a U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, has ruled that the EPA-imposed numeric nutrient criteria for Florida streams and unimpaired lakes are unlawful because they are arbitrary and have no scientific basis. This good news was reported in the FBNews, March 5, 2012.”

With all freedom comes responsibility. It is farmers’ and ranchers’ job to go to any length necessary protect the quality of the water that so much depends on, both on the farm and beyond.

Pray for Israel, as her people remember the past and as the leaders of the nation make decisions for the future that will affect you and I.

If you haven’t already, we can also recommend visiting flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com and signing up to receive the weekly updates sent by Joel Rosenburg and the Joshua Fund.

We are so blessed to have a virtuous mother! Her dedicated love, hard work, and God-honoring life style are a testimony to all! What a joy to honor her on her special day. In fact, there was more than one celebration of her birthday this year! The first was at the Neely’s with the most beautiful, delicious cakes you could ask for! The second was a a party for her and Grandpa at Manard’s Spaghetti Inn where Uncle Tim took us all out to eat! Last of all we celebrated with a Hawaiian theme and went to a piano concert in Clarksburg. We love you, Mom and thank God for who you are!

.